Going Green: Water Bottle Project

These Manlius Pebble Hill elementary students don’t mess around. When it comes to water, they’re armed with stainless steel bottles that they can keep full all day. It’s called the water bottle project. The object is to avoid buying and using plastic bottles that can ultimately harm the earth.

“We don’t have to throw them out and they just end up sitting in a landfill for a really long time,” said Olivia Moffa, MPH fifth grader.

It’s no secret that water is better for these kids, too.

“I like drinking water. I think it’s good that we have the water bottles because it’s better than drinking soda that has 40 grams of sugar,” said Zachary Sussman, MPH fifth grader.

The water bottle project isn’t the only ‘going green’ project-taking place at the school. Solar panels will soon be part of the landscape of the buildings, helping to save energy and inside, off one classroom, a small greenhouse is home to herbs as students learn to plant, grow and enjoy their own homegrown food from seed to harvest.

“In middle school we’ve been thinking about eating locally and field to fork and what that means and so the kids have been growing herbs that they’ve harvested, walked down to the dining hall and they appeared on the salad bar,” said Sue Foster MPH Science Department Chair.

Students are also monitoring their own food portions and encouraging each other to produce less food waste.

“We’re trying to get people to take less and eat it all instead of taking a lot and eating only some of it and throwing the rest out,” said Max Charlamb, MPH fifth grader.

Whoever produces the least amount of waste wins a prize at the end of the school year. But what’s really important is helping the students become environmentally conscious and develop a more sustainable lifestyle, starting with a little stainless steel water bottle.